Product Description
The Ag-Bag unit is designed to help farmers and livestock owners store the necessary feed for their animals from the prime-growing season for use in the less productive season (Ag-Bag, N.D.). This product takes forage harvested from the producer’s field and compacts it into a plastic bag where the feed is fermented by the bacteria present in the forage (Ag-Bag, N.D.). The feed is taken to the machine and placed in the hopper where it is then conveyed into the rotor which tightly packs the forage inside of the plastic creating an optimal environment for feed fermentation in the presence of sunlight (Ag- Bag, N.D) process of fermenting the feed not only allows the farmers to store the forage for later use but also increases the nutritional value of the feed for the animals (Ag-Bag, N.D.), which will make the animals more productive increasing the farmer’s revenue.
Forage Production
The Nepalese farmers who traditionally produce forages like Napier grass and have recently started growing sorghum (Pariyar, N.D.) grass will grow the forage. These forages would be harvested and taken directly from the field to the bagging unit and compacted tightly for fermentation (Ag-Bag, N.D.). This process will benefit the farmers because most Nepalese dairy farmers spend most of their income on concentrate feed for the diet of lactating animals (Joshi, N.D.), feeding more fermented feed could reduce this cost saving farmers money.
Machinery and required cost
To run the Ag-Bagger the unit requires external power from a source like a small tractor or external motor, which produces the power to compact and bag the forage (Ag-Bag, N.D.). The unit does require some initial cost from the producers in Nepal but this cost could be split between a community of farmers and the unit could be shared amongst the community reducing the cost for the independent farmer. This will allow the farmers to benefit from the increased nutritional value of the forage without taking on the cost of the machinery alone.
Labour Required
To produce the fermented feed from the Ag-Bagger the forages must first be harvested from the field by Nepalese farmers and brought to the Ag-Bagger where they can be loaded into the machine and compacted into the plastic wrap (Ag-Bag, N.D.). The Ag-Bagger must then be monitored while in use to ensure all forage is being stored properly to prevent spoilage while fermentation is occurring (Ag-Bag, N.D.). This practice will typically take place at the end of the wet season when the forages have matured and are ready to be harvested for storage over the dry season. Overall the use of this machine is intended to help reduce the labour of farmers moving their animals around the local area for grazing. By storing all of the feed in one place farmers can keep their animals close and bring the feed to the livestock.
Inputs Required
The Ag-Bagger unit requires power from an external source like a small tractor, which would require fuel to run the machine this can be available in Nepal but does create an additional cost of the fuel, which can be in short supply this will raise the cost of producing the forage. (Fuel Shortage Threatens Food Security, 2008) The Ag-Bagger also requires the input of the plastic used to produce the bag in which the feed is compacted and sealed (Ag-Bag, N.D.). The plastic can be shipped to Nepal where it will be used in the machine to wrap the feed for fermentation. The only other input required by the farmer is the forage itself, which is already produced in Nepal and has to be harvested for storage by the farmer before it can be stored. (Pariyar, N.D.).
Nutritional Information
Fermenting feed inside of the plastic bags will increase the nutritional value of the forages when compared to feeding them directly (Ag-Bag, N.D.). By investing in this product Nepalese farmers will be able to improve the feed quality for their animals by decreasing the PH of the feed by better fermenting the forage, This will increase the nutritional value of the feed and keep it cooler which will entice cows to eat more (Hollenbeck, 1998). By increasing the nutritional value of the already existing forages farmers will be able to reduce the amount of concentrated feed in their lactating animals diet, which will help reduce the input costs for farmers (Joshi, N.D.).
Patent / Intellectual concerns
This product is patented by the company Ag-Bag, which owns the rights to manufacture the machine (Ag-Bag, N.D.). The machine itself can be purchased by anyone interested in producing higher quality feed for their animals. Once the machine is purchased there are no patent/ intellectual concerns associated with the use of this product.
Market Opportunity
This product does require a fairly large input cost of roughly 30,000$ to purchase the unit new (Ag-Baggers For Sale, N.D.), which could be too great for individual farmers to afford. This machine could be purchased by a community of farmers which would decrease the cost for the individual farmer, That is why this product would be marketed to smaller communities of producers who are interested in improving the feed quality of their forages and reducing the overall input cost for their feed (Hollenbeck, 1998). Nepalese farmers need a better way to store and produce feed and the Ag-Bagger is a good solution to this problem and will help farmers in Nepal increase the nutritional value of their feed. If farmers are interested in advancing their livestock feeding practices there will be a market for this product to be sold in Nepal.
Benefits to Canada
This product would not have a direct benefit on Canadian farmers but would create jobs in manufacturing and retail at the supplying companies and could increase other Canadian trade deals to Nepal (Farm Credit Canada, 2013-2014), which could include agricultural products produced by Canadian farmers. This product would therefore increase the economic activity in the Canadian agricultural product manufacturing industry by creating jobs and increasing revenue. This trade deal will also improve relations between the Canadian and Nepalese agricultural industries and could increase trade between the two countries (Farm Credit Canada, 2013-2014).
Environmental Impact in Canada
Manufacturing this product in Canada would not have a big impact on the Canadian environment; the machine is produced using new materials and would not harm the natural environment (Ag- Bag, N.D.). The plastic produced for the storage of the feed could have a negative impact on the environment if not recycled properly but this could be reused a second or even third time for feed storage (Ag- Bag, N.D.) before it would have to be returned to Canada for proper recycling where the facilities exist. The used plastic wrap will be brought back to Canada to be cleaned and recycled into plastic lumber and fence boards (Government of Ontario, 1995).